Power Squeeze has been beaten in his past four long-distance Wentworth Park starts but his connections remain confident the dog will turn his fortunes around - beginning on Thursday night.
Power Squeeze has box seven in the 720m gapnsw 0-4 Wins Mixed Stakes and is the only Wenty staying winner in the six dog lineup.
He won on debut over 720m from the same draw at his Wentworth Park 720m debut on February 19, clocking a smart 41.79.
Since then Power Squeeze has had a second and a pair of third placings, before finishing sixth to Vodka And Ice in an Association Cup heat at Wentworth Park on April 4.
Andy Lord, whose wife Jodie trains Power Squeeze, said: "He bungled the start in that Cup heat and he just has to learn how to race.
"We are confident that will come with experience.
"Power Squeeze puts us in mind of Tiger Jack, a stayer we trained in 2023.
"Early in his long distance career Tiger Jack kept running into the back of his rivals and finding trouble, and Power Squeeze has been doing exactly the same.
"But when he learned how to race it was a different story, with Tiger Jack winning over 715m at The Gardens in near record time, winning over 720m at Wenty where he got down to 41.70, and finishing second in a group 3 final over 715m at Sandown.
"We think Power Squeeze has the natural talent to eventually get down to as fast as 41.30 over 720m at Wentworth Park.''
The Lord kennel's safest bet at Wentworth Park on Thursday though looms as Classy Bandit, who has box one in the 520m Group 3 Racing 2nd May top grade event.
She was never a chance when sixth in the Wheeler Kennels Golden Easter Egg final at Wentworth Park last Saturday night but will find Thursday's assignment far easier.
The pointer to her prospects this week was her strong finishing second behind Off The Chart, who broke the race record in the Easter Egg final a week later, in a semi-final of the group one race on April 4.
That night Classy Bandit jumped in front from box three but after being headed off by the flying Off The Chart, was at least four lengths behind that greyhound at the half-way mark.
Classy Bandit took ground from Off The Chart in the straight, going down by one-and-a-half lengths and recording a fast 29.43 in the process.
A repeat of that time should be good enough for Classy Bandit to win Thursday's top grade race, especially as he has drawn the rails, with slow beginner Classic Ethics in box two and the wide running Hello Cindy Lou in three, likely to give her clear air in the run to the first turn.
Hello Cindy Lou's trainer Alan Proctor should take home a first prizemoney cheque courtesty of Mepunga Shine, who has box five in Thursday night's Masters M3 Stakes, 520m.
Mepunga Shine has earned over $300,000 prizemoney and as the winner of the group one Maturity at The Meadows in 2023 should have too much class for his rivals on Thursday.
"He is obviously not as good now as when he won the Maturity but Mepunga Shine should be winning this race on Thursday,'' Proctor said.
"Last Saturday he led early in the much harder GRNSW Masters final but Overflow Beau got underneath him at the first turn and he gradually lost ground.
"This looks a lot easier and Mepunga Shine is not badly positioned in box five.
"He is usually a smart beginner and because he likes to run in the centre of the track the middle draw is good for him.''
Mepunga Shine
Simply The Best runs his best races when drawn wide and he should be good value in Thursday's Maximum 200 Points 520m fifth grade after coming up with box seven.
Simply The Best hit the front in the middle stages in a similar race at Wentworth Park last Saturday night but was run down and beaten a length by Rugged Ethics, a noted strong finisher.
Another wide runner who looks suitably drawn on Thursday is Brax Keeping, who has box eight in the 520m Where Else But Wenty? fifth grade.
Brax Keeping got well off the track from box two when a distant fourth to Fascinate Samuel in a sizzling 29.28 at Wentworth Park on April 9 but with three wins and seven placings from 21 Wentworth Park appearances boasts far and away the best record at headquarters.
